this brings to a close the hiatus i took from this blog. and yes i thank my lovely friends for abusing my tagboard and waging verbal wars on each other, though it seems obvious that andrew seems to be the common enemy here (why am i not surprised, andrew?!?). A lot of things have happened since i last blogged, most notably my trip to japan last year. things i definitely want to mention in this post: Japan, Fran's visit and Thailand, Mrs Che's passing and a few simple resolutions for the new year, though by the end of this entry i'm convinced i would've skipped a few and added some others. bare with me as i try to get up to scratch with what's been happening.


Japan

Haha this one was absolutely fantastic. I don't think words alone can describe the thrill of skiing and snowboarding but let's see what i can do here. i feel linguistically challenged at the moment, like how i start stuttering for no apparent reason or forget my lines in midsentence or just forgetting everyday words that i use everyday. but i digress.

so there i was strapping on my snowboarding boots again. its strange how it seems just like it was yesterday when you were strapping on the very same pair of boots when in fact it's already been more than 365 days. time certainly has a way of messing with us. or maybe its just how i perceive time itself, how short and intangible and undefinable as it is, like the phenomenon where days appear as long as weeks, and weeks like years, when its usually just a game our mind plays on us. the snowlift gives you a chance to soak in the sights of the majestic mountainside as other snowboarders and skiers whizz down the snowy slopes etching their own memories in the snow. the wind catches your hair, and the sting of the cold spreads over your cheeks, your nose, your forehead, but its neither too much nor too little, but just enough to breathe new life into those weary limbs of yours. the rays of the afternoon sun just manage to peak out from the looming clouds above and illuminate the lush fields of snow as far as your eye can see. I haven't even thrown myself off the side of the mountain yet, and already it feels like Heaven.

That's it.



Mrs Che Siew Long

On the 26th of December i received an sms from Jason informing me of Mrs Che's funeral service that was to take place the very next day. I couldn't make it because i was still stuck in Tokyo, but my entire body felt numb when i heard the news. Mrs Che was, without a doubt, the most committed biology teacher i've ever had. she survived several surgeries, one of which took place during my j2 year, and still came back to teach when she thought she was well enough to do so. She spoon-fed us even though she knew it was wrong because we never did our homework. She gave us so many remedial lessons when Khoo PH was teaching us absolute hobscotch. She was the only teacher who wished us (or me) luck right before the paper with a hug and a sweet biblical quote. Thank you for everything you did for us. Thank you for believing in us even though we were such runts. We know you fought till the end despite the relapses. We got our A's in the end, and its one of the reasons I am where I am today.

Thank you again, Mrs Che.



Thailand

I started planning my trip to Thailand with the guys while i was still in japan. We were supposed to head off on the 2nd for a week of decadence and debauchery (but not really.) and come back on the 6th after the weekend market. Two day before we were supposed to leave (New Year's Eve) i received an sms from Cheryl Siow. it was about the bombings in bangkok. i didn't believe her and told her i'd check again to make sure since there wasn't anything on the news. turns out the very next day milton, kp and darius all call me regarding the same thing. later we find out that the perpetrators intended on bombing 20 more locations over the next 6 days. that spelt the end of our trip.

But you know what? It's ok. I think i value my life more than that.

It was actually a blessing in disguise, cos that gave me so much more time to hang with Fran who was coming back for a short stay in Singapore before heading back to NY.
Woman, you're the best buddy ever.

and guys, it doesn't get any better than this. kekekekekeke. disregard the pervy laughter.




that's geri and fran. excuse my loserish looks. i didn't know the camera was firing!

sigh. you better be visiting this summer! I'll be the one driving this time. Or you can cut my hair.

come back soon, friend.



New Year Resolutions

There's just one.

To accept.




REALLY RANDOM STUFF.

I'm a real danger to myself when im nodding off during tutorials. at my most recent physio tutorial i ended up stabbing myself in the quadriceps femoris (thigh. really now.) with my pen. not nice. oh and my yearly check up with the ENT specialist has yielded interesting results. apparently im hyperallergic, and if i have too much of one thing there's a high probability that i'll develop an allergy to it. does that mean monogamy doesn't apply to me?

yeah. you wish. me too.

signing off.

matt